COVID-19 shutters cultural events on campus and across the city

Postponed Events

Pitt Arts — Pittsburgh Memorial Mandala Installation

According to an email from Terry S. Hardy, a Pitt Arts artist in residence, his installation in front of the Frick Fine Arts building on March 16 is rescheduled for the 2020 fall semester. The installation of a floral mandala to honor “loss of life in Pittsburgh and its diversity” was originally rescheduled from October to March.

Pitt Stages — “Head Over Heels”

In an email sent to theater arts majors last week, department chair Annmarie Duggan announced that Pitt Stages’ spring musical — a jukebox musical consisting of songs by The Go-Go’s called “Head Over Heels” — is being postponed from April 12-20 to the fall 2020 semester.

Though Duggan expressed regret at the postponement of the show, she said in her email that the department originally feared that it would have to cancel the show entirely, adding that Broadway Licensing gave Pitt permission to reschedule the production. “Head Over Heels” was to be the last show of the 2019-20 season. 

Canceled Events

Department of Theatre Arts — New Works Showcase

The four undergraduate theater clubs — Performance Collaborative, Musical Theater Club, Redeye Theater Project and the United States Institute for Theater Technology — canceled their annual New Works Showcase, which was scheduled for March 21 in the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theater.

The showcase highlights original student work from within the theater arts department every year, with this year’s theme set as “Forgetting/Remembering.” 

Creativation: A Community Art Festival with Douglas R. Ewart

Artist and composer Douglas R. Ewart’s Year of Creativity event, originally set to take place at the Pitt Sports Dome on March 20, is now canceled. The event, called CREPUSCULE, was an organized improvisation concert that “provides a space for all people to perform all kinds of creative art forms and disciplines.” 

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust — all events through April 6

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announced on Friday that all events held by the organization, including performances, exhibitions and films, are canceled through April 6. The list of affected events includes more than 40 film screenings, educational programming and all ongoing programs at the Greer Cabaret Theater Downtown. Certain events, such as an evening with the host of NPR’s “This American Life” Ira Glass on March 21, are postponed, though no new dates are given.

The announcement also said the cultural trust’s guest services will contact ticket=holders regarding information on refunds and rescheduled events. 

To Be Determined 

Pitt Program Council — An Evening with Diane Guerrero (March 31), Pitt Factor (March 24), Bigelow Bash (April 5)

In accordance with the recent decision by Pitt administration to move classes online, Pitt Program Council announced that all scheduled upcoming events are to be either canceled or postponed. The announcement did not list which events are being rescheduled and which are canceled altogether, though they did say events that students prepaid for, such as a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo, will be refunded.

PPC cancelled other events due to outside factors. Disney’s decision to postpone the release of the new “Mulan” movie prompted the cancellation of a trip to the film’s Pittsburgh premiere, and the suspension of the 2019 NHL hockey season has led to the cancellation of a trip to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24.

Affected events include a talk with actress and author Diane Guerrero, originally scheduled for the end of the month, as well as Bigelow Bash, Pitt’s annual spring concert, and The Pitt Factor, a talent competition where students compete for a chance to open for Bigelow Bash’s headliners. Female rappers Rico Nasty and Young M.A were set to headline this year’s concert.